Have you ever heard of a tongue scraper? When I first saw a friend using one, I had no idea why anyone would want to scrape their tongue every day when they wake up. Now, after years of using one, I use one every day, and miss it terribly when I don’t have it.
What the heck is a tongue scraper?
A tongue scraper
What is one of the first things many Eastern doctors or practitioners ask to see? Yes, your tongue……
Tongue cleaning has been around since ancient times in India. Ayurveda, the Traditional Indian Science of Medicine, recommends cleaning the tongue as part of your daily self-care regime to remove ama, toxic debris that builds up in the body. During sleep when the body is resting, the digestive system works to detoxify itself. These toxins are deposited on the surface of the tongue via the internal excretory channels, and are responsible for the coating usually seen on the tongue first thing in the morning. Tongue scraping has found it’s way into Western society as folks discover the benefits of cleaning the tongue every day. THIS
5 Reasons to Scrape Your Tongue Every Day
#1 Improves the breath:
Removing the bacteria, food debris, fungi, and dead cells from the tongue significantly reduces the odor from the mouth. You may have been told to use your toothbrush for this purpose, but brushing the tongue does NOT efficiently remove all of the film that develops on the tongue. You will be blown away the first time you do this by the amount of gunk that comes off of the tongue.
#2 Improves your ability to taste:
Removing build-up from the surface of your tongue will better expose your taste buds. This will lead to better enjoyment of the flavors of your food. Ayurveda teaches that the better we enjoy and savor our food, the better our bodies digest and assimilate, leading to better over all health. Also, Ayurveda teaches that blocked taste buds and tongue receptors interferes with our body’s ability to communicate with our brain about what types of foods we need to maintain our health, leading to false cravings.
#3 Avoid toxins being reabsorbed into your body:
As you sleep, your body is detoxifying. Much of the film on your tongue is toxins excreted from your body. You don’t want to re-ingest that do you? NO! Scraping your tongue first thing in the morning will remove this sludge from your tongue and from your body, improving your over all health and improving your immune system.
#4 Improves dental health:
By removing bacteria and toxins, you are also contributing to better dental health as well, leading to healthier teeth and gums. The bacteria that you remove from your tongue are responsible for things like periodontal problems, plaque build-up, tooth decay, gum infections, gum recession, and even loss of teeth.
#5 Get to know your tongue:
Did you know your tongue is a mirror reflection of your internal organs? Just like with hand or foot mapping, the tongue is mapped out to reflect various parts of your internal body. You can learn so much about what is going on in particular areas just by looking at your tongue every morning. Also, by scraping your tongue, you are actually stimulating and massaging those corresponding internal organs, just like in acupressure or acupuncture. Pretty cool, huh?
How to scrape your tongue:
Tongue scraping should be done on a regular basis, preferably in the morning. It involves using a long, thin, flat piece of metal (sometimes plastic), which is bent in the shape of a ‘U’, to scrape the surface of your tongue. To do this, extend the tongue and place the scraper as far back on the tongue as is comfortable. Gently scrape from the back or base of the tongue using one long stroke, until you have scraped the whole surface. Rinse the scraper and begin again. Scrape firmly, but gently. Do this until the tongue feels clean and is free of coating. Wash the scraper well after each use with hot water. When you first get started scraping your tongue, be extra gentle. Your tongue will get used to it quickly. You will be amazed at how much stuff comes off of your tongue in the morning!!
Where to buy a tongue scraper:
Many health food store sell tongue scrapers. You can also buy them online. They are inexpensive, and there are a few different kinds out on the market. I prefer the ones made from stainless steel because they are easier to clean. The two that I like are HERE
Another great practice to get into is oil pulling. Have you heard of it? Check out this posts if you are curious : What is Oil Pulling? and Does Oil Pulling Work?
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Great info! It’s very interesting to me as I’ve been considering this lately. I usually brush my tongue but I didn’t realize it wasn’t as effective. It’s also nice to see the scrapers are so inexpensive!
yes, I have been discouraged from brushing my tongue by my Ayurvedic teacher. Says it not only isn’t as effective but can be too abrasive on the surface of the tongue. I love my scraper. Paid about $3 for it.
Typo. You have “5 reason”, but it should be “5 reasonS”.
OMG!!! Thanks for the laugh. I have looked at that image a 100 times and not noticed it. I guess having someone else edit my stuff could be helpful. The brain sees what it wants to see. FIXED!!!
Thanks!
I oil pull everymorning and right after that I use my tongue scrapper..
Nice!! I try to do it every morning as well.
How do you clean the tongue cleaner?
I just rinse it off, sometimes use a bit of soap and hot water. 🙂
When you use soap and hot water do you soak the scraper in water?
I don’t. I just scrub it with my hands under hot running water. You could soak it if you wanted to, but mine stays clean if I just scrub it a bit. 🙂
I’ve used a tongue scraper since I was in my teen years. I’ve had tons of people look at me funny when they ask what the heck it is. I’ve been looking to buy a new one but most grocery stores don’t carry them anymore. Glad I’ve been doing it right all these years ;]
Rachel,
After using one for so many years, I can’t imagine not using it. My tongue would feel so unclean without it. I love my scraper! I’m always surprised that more people don’t use it.
I’ve been using a tongue scrapper for a few years now, and love it. The best thing is I noticed a big change in the “crud” that comes off my tongue since I’ve been eating “Clean”. There’s a lot less icky stuff on it. I would not give it up.
I agree! I can’t imagine NOT using it!
Thanks for the tips! I recently started using a tongue scraper and my mouth feels so much more healthier when I use it. It is amazing how something so simple can do so much for the health of your mouth.
I always scrape my time whatever I eat there’s always a film of it on my tongue I always feel like there’s a coach on my tongue but I also have dentures can you tell me what to do besides scraping my tongue I never can get it clean enough. Thank you
Thanks so much for the great blog and linking to our page! We’re thrilled that your a fan. 🙂 Once you start tongue scraping, it’s really hard to stop!
“You can learn so much about what is going on in particular areas just by looking at your tongue every morning”
At least give a fucking example of what to look for
Hi, George. I am happy to share some more info if you would like. Here is a bit about diagnosis >>>>>> http://www.prana.com/life/2014/10/27/ayurveda-life-tongue-says-health/
Ive always just brushed my teeth but never gave scraping my tongue a second thought. I’m going to have to try doing this. But how in the world do you get your gag reflex to not kick in while your scraping your tongue? Mine seems to not take much before it kicks in. Great article and it was a lot of food for thought.
You get used to the tongue scraping. Just don’t push the scraper too far back into the throat to make yourself gag. Honestly, I do sometime gag a bit, but I don’t mind. Did you know that gagging ca stimulate the digestive tract? Some folks do it intentionally. 😉
Question: I started scaping a few weeks ago with a copper scraper. I now have like a burning or metal sensation in my mouth mostly on my tongue area. Is this normal? Am I scaping too hard, too often. I have been doing it each morning. Any ideas?
Hmmmm…. sounds like you may be scraping a little too hard. Or the copper scraper is affecting your tongue. I have only used stainless steel.
I can’t believe how much scraping has improved the health of my mouth. Most of my medications cause a dry mouth but it’s much less of a problem since I started doing this. I prefer to use a large silver spoon, seems to work better for me.
Good to know the morning job. Its really good advise